Dr Zain Ali: Reflections on lessons from 9/11

By Dr Zain Ali

5:30 AM Monday Sep 12, 2011

Men, observes Blaise Pascal, never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. The events of 9/11 seem only to prove Pascal right; the 19 hijackers saw no contradiction between having faith in God and the killing of innocents.

In fact, their faith seemed to have motivated the view that the ends always justified the means, even if it meant inflicting horrendous suffering.

This year, the site of the Twin Towers once again revealed the bitterness, hate and distrust that al-Qaeda engendered on 9/11. A Muslim group had announced its intention to build an interfaith centre and mosque two blocks from Ground Zero.

Many were concerned that the mosque would symbolise the triumphalist ethos of Islam.

Admittedly, those behind the Ground Zero mosque are peace-loving folk who are genuinely interested in building bridges.

However, there have been many who claim that Ground Zero is hallowed ground, much like Mecca - where churches, synagogues and temples are virtually non-existent.

Similarly, it is argued that Muslims should respect Ground Zero and refrain from building a mosque in its immediate vicinity.

A number of leading politicians in the US have made a similar argument, although, in more vociferous terms. For instance, Newt Gingrich, a former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, noted that the mosque should not be built, since "Nazis don't have the right to put up a sign next to the Holocaust Museum in Washington".

Presumably, Mr Gingrich doesn't see any distinction between Muslims and Nazis. On the other hand, Michael Bloomberg, the son of Jewish migrants and the Mayor of New York, came out in support of the planned mosque.

I feel that Ground Zero is sacred, it is not a sacredness that is reverential in nature, but a sacredness that emerges from the sense of loss associated with 9/11.

It is the kind of loss that Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel had in mind when he wrote, "Let us remember the heroes of Warsaw, the martyrs of Treblinka, the children of Auschwitz. They fought alone, they suffered alone, they lived alone, but they did not die alone, for something in all of us died with them."

Ten years on from 9/11 we know Bin Laden is dead, although the war on terror continues without any real end in sight.

There does appear to be a silver lining, however; the Muslim world is changing for the better despite al-Qaeda's best efforts.

I am an optimist, and I believe the heartlands of Islam are experiencing the kind of change that may prefigure a dramatic cultural, social and philosophical enlightenment. I use the term "enlightenment" deliberately, and I do this because I have lost count of the number of times I have been challenged, and questioned, on whether the Muslim world is capable of a true enlightenment - the kind that Europe experienced in the 18th century. In response to these challenges, I would usually argue that the Muslim intellectual heritage actually helped to motivate aspects of the European enlightenment.

Then there would be the follow-up question, "why is so much of the Muslim world today so far behind?"

This was a good question, and one I had great difficulty answering as it exposed an uncomfortable truth. Sure, the Muslim world has a long list of great achievements, but most of these successes happened 1000 years ago.

As of February 11, 2011, however, I have a new perspective. That is the day Hosni Mubarak resigned, and the people of Egypt were heard.

The people of Egypt found their voice; moreover, Tahrir Square, the pulsing heart of the protest movement, drew together Christians, secularists, Islamist, liberals, conservatives and even a Google executive.

The gathering in Tahrir Square cut across religious, political and social divides - the protesters wanted democracy, freedom and liberation from the old and entrenched. At the height of the protests, Tahrir Square resembled Mecca - with people gathered in their thousands around a central focal point. The brief resemblance to Mecca foreshadows something deeper - we saw a turn away from autocracy and autocratic systems. There was a turn toward openness, toward freedom of expression and freedom of thought.

As we remember the tragedy of 9/11, we should guard against the temptation to wallow in bitterness, distrust and hate.

Let us resist the temptation to be indifferent to the humanity of others, lest we prove Pascal correct once again.

Good article. The Twin Towers site is still a place of grief, and Americans may push away well intentioned motives by Moslems. Only time will really heal this.The Moslem world will change considerably, due to the march of circumstances, it will be forced on them.

The hold of the Catholic Churh was weakened by the European enlightenment and rise of Science. The hold moslem religion, culture or dictatorial government has will be weakened by changes in society. The internet is probably opening the eyes of Moslems to the west and democracy.

Many Middle Eastern Economies have been reliant on oil, heavilly so. Oil will run out and this will force these economies to diversify, and that will only succeed if they open up to western market principles. This is incompatible with opressive religious control.

Brendan (New Zealand) |
11:41AM Monday, 12 Sep 2011

A welcome contribution from Dr Zain Ali. The hope for Islam is surely a theological reformation based upon an enlightenment perspective.

There are some barriers to overcome, not the least of which is the view within Islam that the theology is settled. Therefore, only an apostate would attempt to reinterpret the Koran and the Hadith. With the penalty for apostasy being death, outspoken reformers are thin on the ground.

Perhaps there are those within Islam who have the courage of William Tyndale who in 1536, was burned at the stake by his fellow Christians because he dared to translate the Bible into English, and make the Scriptures available to everyone. His actions democratized the Scriptures and dethroned the priests, threatening their power.

To defeat a powerful idea, you need a more powerful idea. Unlike Dr Ali, I am not convinced that the democratic urge expressed in Egypt is sufficiently powerful to overcome radical Islam, or the political forces that are united behind it.Our best hope is that a Muslim Tyndale, will speak up for reform, and be prepared to risk their life for the future of Islam. Is there a theological basis for this to happen in the Koran?

Pedantic () |
11:41AM Monday, 12 Sep 2011

When a Muslim extremest commits an act of terror, the western world is quickly reminded how peace loving the majority of Muslims are,and that these acts of aggression are not condoned by Islam in general.

Pity the same consideration is not given to Christians when certain elements in their ranks commit acts outside of their boundaries, even the west paints all Christians with the same brush.

The sad thing is that the west is so tolerant towards an alien and destructive religion, but is quite prepared to dismiss Christianity as misguided belief. We are too afraid to face reality, and it's much more politically correct to compromise our beliefs and embrace those of our antagonists. Is it any wonder that the Islamic world has no rerspect for the west?